More than simple nostalgia, skeuomorphism is based on the idea that users feel more comfortable touching a device's display (a classic computing no-no for more than 20 years) if it's textured like something they're used to handling.
And so we have the virtual bookshelf and page-flipping animations of iBooks, the card-table felt of Game Center, the faux paper-shredder in Passbook and the gray linen backdrop for notifications. This is why the default font in Notes is a Comic Sans knockoff. Possibly the worst offender is the almost universally-panned stitched leather of Find My Friends.
According to numerous rumors, Forstall's pro-skeuomorphic approach was a minority position among Apple execs; and Jony Ive, who will take over most of his responsibilities, has reportedly not been shy about denigrating the practice.
The result of the shakeup, then, will likely be a major aesthetic shift throughout iOS (and, to a lesser extent, OS X). As one of Apple designers told the New York Times, "You can be sure that the next generation of iOS and OS X will have Jony’s industrial design aesthetic…. Clean edges, flat surfaces will likely replace the textures that are all over the place right now.”
Do you like Apple's ersatz-textured software or would you welcome a change? Let us know in the comments. Jon Fox is a Seattle hipster who loves polar bears and climbing trees. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.